Strange Old World
by Jedi Takeru
Summary: A young Kirk has a disillusioning encounter with a professor.


Strange Old World

2251

"Can anyone tell me what this word means?" asked Commander Francis Fitzgerald, gesturing at the holographic projection behind her and staring out at her debate class. "You," she said, pointing and consulting her class roster, "…Kirk. What does 'poverty' mean?"

"Poverty: Noun, describes a condition of having insufficient funds to sustain an average lifestyle."

"Are you a dictionary, Mr. Kirk?"

"No, sir!"

"Then why did you just give me a dictionary definition?"

"This is a classroom, sir. You're my teacher. You asked me what the word meant, sir, so I told you what it means."

"No, Mr. Kirk," said Fitzgerald with a heavy sigh at her student's incomprehension. "That is not what it means. That is its definition. What does it _mean_?"

"I don't follow, sir."

"Of course you don't." Fitzgerald sighed, pushing her pair of antique spectacles up the bridge of her nose. "Do you know _why_ you don't, Mr. Kirk?"

"With all due respect, sir, it's likely because you're being vague."

Fitzgerald raised an eyebrow. _Uppity little Sophomore. _"No, Mr. Kirk, I was being perfectly clear. You don't know what the word _means_ because you have never lived outside of paradise."

"Paradise, sir?"

"This United Federation of Planets is a paradise, Mr. Kirk. An Eden, if you will. We haven't had a war since our founding, only occasional border skirmishes with the Klingons that don't get much media coverage, and thanks to protein resequencers, not a single soul is in want of the things needed to…" Here she paused, looking over her spectacles at the young man and smiling dangerously at him. "…how did you put it, Mr. Kirk? Ah, yes, 'to sustain an average lifestyle.' This is all true, is it not, Mr. Kirk?"

"To the best of my knowledge, sir."

"Then, Mr. Kirk, I submit that your knowledge is…incomplete."

Now it was Kirk's turn to smile. _Pompous old bat. I can play word games too. _"That's why I'm here, sir."

_I like this boy,_ thought Fitzgerald, her face betraying nothing as she continued to smile. "Mr. Kirk, have you ever heard of Rigel X?"

"Yes, sir!"

"What do you know about Rigel X?"

"Prior to the admittance of the entire Rigel system into the Federation as a consequence of the T'Pol-Kieran treaty of 2178, it was regarded as a den for various…unsavory types."

"What would you say if I told you that the Rigel system still has a thriving underworld, one that consistently provides trouble for Starfleet security?"

Confidently, Kirk replied "That kind of thing doesn't exist on any Federation planet, sir. I would submit that _your_ knowledge is…incorrect."

"Mr. Kirk, how did you gain entrance to this place while being so utterly naïve? You were on Tarsus IV, were you not?"

"Governor Kodos was an isolated incident, sir," replied Kirk through clenched teeth. _He has no right to bring that up,_ he thought, face turning red with anger.

"An isolated incident?" asked Fitzgerald incredulously, laughing so hard that her spectacles nearly slid off her nose.

"Is there an echo in here, Commander?"

_Bravo, boy, _thought Fitzgerald, her head inclining in a barely perceptible motion. _A hit—a palpable hit. But I can't let you know it. _"Do you make a habit of insubordination, Cadet?"

"Never, sir," replied Kirk with a savage smile. "But I've been told that the best students are those who ask questions."

That _was nicely done. _"Indeed they are, Mr. Kirk. And the best students are also those who do their homework. I have some for you, and for the class." A collective groan ensued, and the professor waiting calmly until it died down.

"There is great poverty in this United Federation of Planets. It is simply very well hidden. For homework, place this quote and tell me its importance." Waiting until they all had writing implements ready, he continued. "This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter." When she finished, she smiled at her furiously writing students. "Cadets, this school is in the old United States of America. If you know anything about its history—as well you should, if you've been awake during your time here—then you should be able to place that quote's era with little difficulty. From there, it's a simple matter of research.

"Starfleet's mission is to explore strange new worlds. The world I speak to you of is not new. It is old, having been born a thousand different times on a thousand different worlds. Many of you think it strange. That should not be the case. Poverty is an enemy, and the wisest course of action with enemies is to know them. It is an enemy different from the Romulans, different from the Klingons and the Orions. But like them all, it must be fought. Identify at least ten worlds on which poverty exists and bring the list in along with your placing of the quote. Dismissed."


End file.
